Original Fiction of the Week: The Outlier

The Outlier is a wonderful story about a girl with a phenomenal secret. Anita Nash has discovered she can read minds and must decide what to do with this potentially dangerous secret. In this edition of Original Fiction of the Week, CultureCreator tells us all about her story.

Give us a brief summary of The Outlier.

The Outlier is a story about a gal named Anita Nash who has an anomaly in her brain that allows her to read minds.

What inspired you to write The Outlier?

Funny story, actually. I was walking to class listening to music on my phone, and one of my earbuds came out. I heard the same song I had been listening to over some of the speakers in the part of campus I was walking through. I just thought it was cool that everyone was on the same kind of wavelength. Then one thing led to another and all of a sudden, I was thinking up Anita.

How long have you been working on this story?

I’ve been planning this story since mid-October, but since I’m writing the novel NaNoWriMo, I didn’t start until November 1st.

What is your favorite thing about writing The Outlier?

Probably figuring out how far Anita’s powers go. It’s amazing to think of how far the mind can stretch before it snaps.

What is the most challenging thing about writing it?

Honestly, the science and the lulls in the story. It takes a lot of research to find out things like “Oh, how much electricity would it take to kill a person?” But the lulls are probably worse. How do you write downtime when all you want to do is write action scenes?

Have you ever experienced writer's block with this story? If so, how did you overcome it?

Oh yeah, plenty! For NaNo, I should be at nearly 20,000 words (give or take), but I just hit over 11,000 earlier this morning. It’s hard to get over the breaks in action and work through character development.

Do you write with an outline, or just wing it?

A bit of both, actually. I have a map for big ideas in each chapter, but other than that, I just let my fingers go and go until I have a chapter in front of me.

Do you have any pre/post writing rituals?

I usually listen to music, especially Alt-J, Mystery Skulls, and the Terminator: Dawn of Fate soundtrack for this particular story. Sometimes, I’ll enjoy a cup of tea or coffee while I write to keep the energy flowing. I also usually have a writing team, consisting of two of my friends, Memo and Miranda. They’re great for bouncing off ideas and coming up with plot points I hadn’t even thought of before!

Is there anything you would like to say to your readers?

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read my ridiculous ramblings! I love logging on and seeing your comments and silent praises through recs and subscriptions. My stories would be nothing without you guys!

Special thanks to silent hearts. and Audrey T. for editing!